Report says at least 50,000 Russians killed in Ukraine war

An independent Russian media outlet has documented the deaths of more than 50,000 Russian military personnel since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, and said tens of thousands more are believed to have died.

Mediazona, which works with the BBC to track Russia’s casualties in the war based on deaths recorded from open sources, said in its latest update that 50,471 Russian service members have died in the war since the outbreak of the war in February 2022.

According to Mediazona, more than 85,000 Russian military personnel have died, according to the number of recorded inheritances of fallen soldiers.

Mediazona wrote: “We know the names of more than 3,300 army and other security forces officers. 390 of them hold the rank of lieutenant colonel and above.”

“The actual number of deaths is calculated based on the register of inheritance cases and, as of March 15, 2024, was approximately 85,000.”

The outlet also said that Russia has lost many tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery units in recent weeks, although the casualties caused by these losses are not included in the latest data.

According to Mediazona, Russia is losing about 1,200 troops every week, with the majority of casualties coming from Russia’s Krasnodar and Bashkortostan regions.

The Ukrainian armed forces estimate Russian military casualties in the war at 451,730, including dead and wounded, while U.S. and British intelligence agencies put the number of Russian casualties at more than 300,000.

Kiev claims more than 180,000 Russian troops have been killed.

Russia rarely provides casualty figures. The latest estimate, seven months after the war began, puts the number at just under 6,000.

Ukraine says it has lost 31,000 troops since the war began.